Review – Dark Matter S03E11: “My Final Gift to You”

Dark Matter S03E11: “My Final Gift to You”

Last week on Dark Matter, the crew of the Raza acted on information that they got from an old memory of the Android’s (Zoie Palmer) and visited a Dwarf Star facility. At said facility, Three (Anthony Lemke) had a bad reaction related to the black material he temporarily ingested last season and discovered that Alexander Rook (Wil Wheaton, who did not appear) had made a deal with aliens from another galaxy. In exchange for commercial success, Rook experimented on humans and pseudo-humans in a way that allowed these aliens to take over their bodies and prepare to take over the galaxy. At the end of the episode, the Mikkei corporation nuked the Dwarf Star facility with Two (Melissa O’Neil) apparently still on the premises. She was saved from a radioactive death by Marcus Boone (also Anthony Lemke), but at the expense of her freedom. Will the Raza crew discover that their beloved leader is still alive? Why did Boone kidnap Two? Find out, on this week’s episode of Dark Matter.

This week on Dark Matter

This week on Dark Matter, the crew of the Raza visits Zairon and their old comrade Ryo Ishida (Alex Mallari Jr), where they hope to save Two from his clutches.

This episode was dramatic enough to be a season finale, which makes me both excited and concerned for next week’s episode, which is actually the season finale. A number of secrets were revealed, a major (and foreshadowed) plot event occurred, and the episode ended on a fairly notable cliffhanger (the result of which was immediately spoiled by the “next episode” promo in a fairly peculiar marketing fail). It was a fun ride, and it allowed for a number of important character beats while keeping the plot going at a really good pace.

I thought this episode was really well put together on both a plot and a character level. Certain characters’ decisions were unexpected but made complete sense, and while not all of the reveals made sense with what the audience was currently aware of, the writers will hopefully get another season (there certainly isn’t time to learn all the answers next episode, not when there’s a corporate war to interfere in) to fill in the backstory that the characters lost at the beginning of the series when they lost their memories.

Dark Matter is a really well-plotted show even though it’s clear that the showrunners like to move plot elements around so that they can bring back actors whose performances they really enjoyed (even if said actor’s character died), the way the plot moves makes the audience believe that all of these steps have been planned for years. It would be a real shame if Syfy decided not to renew this show for a fourth season.

Next week on Dark Matter, the crew of the Raza turns its focus to the corporate war in time for the third season finale.

Dark Matter‘s third season finale airs next Friday, 25 August 2017, at 9pm on Syfy. Dark Matter has not yet been renewed for a fourth season.